Eternity
by meichan26
Summary: She felt like she’d known him for a lifetime, but had only loved him for a mere moment when an act of violence threatens to take him away forever. SaraGreg. Complete!
1. Prologue

**Eternity**

Author's note- This takes place sometime after "Grave Danger"

Disclaimer- I don't own CSI or any of the characters- never have, never will.

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It had been a night like so many others before it. Nothing seemed out of place or foreboding as the CSIs of Las Vegas went about their normal routines and ventured out into the city with the hopes of solving, even the worst of the city's, crimes.

Night-shift supervisor Gil Grissom had handed out assignments- Nick Stokes and Warrick Brown to a hit and run, and Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders to a 419- before retreating to his office with the intent of finishing the pile of neglected reports that were scattered across his desk.

An hour passed, and then two, as he worked in the strange silence that occasionally fell over the lab on such slow nights. However, the silence was soon invaded by the high-pitched ringing of his phone - forcing him to tear his attention away from the report he had been studying. With a sigh, he answered the offending object. "Grissom."

"_It's Brass_."

Grissom felt his blood run cold at the tone of the captain's voice. He could not explain how he knew, but he knew the next words that were coming- the words he always dreaded to hear.

"_Something's happened._"

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To be continued... 


	2. Chapter 1

_"The story of a love is not important-what is important is that one is  
__capable of love. It is perhaps the only glimpse we are permitted of eternity."  
_-Helen Hayes

* * *

**Chapter One**

Grissom politely thanked the doctor for his time and walked down the silent halls of the hospital, barely noticing the people he passed. At the end of the hallway he reached a large waiting room, only occupied by three people at such an early hour of day.

Ignoring the worried-looking blonde couple, he made his way over to a brunette, who was staring blankly at a dull white wall. She didn't acknowledge him when he sat down next to her.

Grissom watched her, concern apparent on his aged features. After a long silence of considering his words, he finally spoke.

"Do you want to talk, Sara?"

She turned to look at him, her brown eyes shining with unshed tears, and then turned back to stare at the wall once again.

"What did the doctors say?" She asked quietly with a voice filled of worry and sadness. "Will Greg be okay?"

"They don't know. We'll have to wait and see."

Sara said nothing, finally breaking her gaze at the wall to look down at the floor. For the first time, Grissom noticed the blood stain along the sleeve of her jacket, as well as her jeans.

"What happened out there, Sara?"

"It all happened so fast." She shook her head slowly. "We were standing in the front yard, discussing footprints that we'd found along the side of the house. Suddenly, we heard shots and Greg…" She paused, trying to gather her shaking voice. "Greg pushed me and we both fell to the ground. It took me a moment to realize what happened and then I felt something." Sara stopped talking; her voice was shaking so badly that Grissom was sure that she was fighting desperately to keep from crying.

"What were you feeling?" He asked gently, already having a good guess at the answer.

"Blood. He was bleeding so much."

"Did you see anyone?"

She merely shook her head, wiping away a tear that had been threatening to fall.

"Brass has officers searching the neighborhood as we speak. We'll find out who did this."

"Good."

Grissom gave a small smile. "Come on, there's nothing more we can do here." He stood and offered her his hand.

Sara slowly looked up at him and then the hand. Her hand was shaking almost as badly as her voice had done as she took his hand and stood up.

The silence that fell upon them as the left the hospital lingered as Grissom drove the car toward the lab- Sara leaning her head against the window and staring impassively at the lights that streamed by.

When they finally reached the lab, she followed uncertainly a step or two behind him as they entered the cool air of the building.

Grissom saw Catherine, Nick and Warrick standing near the reception area, all looking concerned and obviously waiting to hear what had occurred only an hour before. Glancing back, he realized Sara had seen her fellow CSIs as well, for she slowed her pace and watched them apprehensively.

"Go ahead and change out of those clothes." He said to her gently. "I'll talk to them."

She nodded and headed in the direction of the locker room. Grissom waited until she was out of sight before approaching the worried CSIs.

"Is she okay?" Catherine asked, looking in the direction Sara had gone off in.

"Physically, yes. The doctors say she's just in shock. She'll be alright with some time."

"What about Greg?" Nick asked.

"The doctors aren't sure." Grissom shook his head slowly.

"Damn…" Warrick muttered. "This has got to be hell on Sara."

"She's the closest to Greg, and to be right there when it happened…" Catherine sighed, voice revealing empathy for the younger woman. "Why did you bring her back here?"

"The doctor recommended that she not be left alone. I didn't know what else to do. I agree that she should be at home, but we can keep an eye on her here." Grissom explained, also looking off toward the unseen locker room.

"I'll take her home, and stay with her." Nick spoke up after a moment of silence.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll look after her. This is hard enough on her, she doesn't need to be here."

"Alright. I'll call as soon as I know anything." Grissom nodded slowly. "Take good care of her." He added as Nick started to walk away.

"I will." The younger man assured him, glancing back over his shoulder quickly before heading off the direction of the locker room.

When he reached his destination he paused momentarily in the doorway, quickly surveying the painfully sad scene within, before slowly entering.

Sara was sitting on the floor, between the bench, on which the bloodstained jacket was draped messily, and her open locker. She had her knees pulled tightly to her chest and her head buried in her arms. Nick could her hear her sobbing quietly as he sat down next to her- the tears she had fought so hard to withhold finally overtaking her. Unsure of what else to do, he simply put his arm around her trembling shoulders.

She looked up quickly at him but said nothing before throwing her arms around his neck and continuing to sob on his shoulder.

Although taken by surprise with her openly displayed emotions, Nick didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly.

"It's okay, Sara. It's going to be okay." He told her gently. "You've got to be strong."

"I can't lose him." Sara replied quietly, voice muffled against his body.

"I understand. But he's a fighter, Sara. He won't give up, so don't give up on him."

"This is my fault."

"Why do you think that?"

"He was protecting me. He's hurt because of me."

"I'm sure he'd do it again without a second thought."

Sara unwrapped herself from Nick and sat back a little, looking at him thoughtfully. Uselessly wiping away still flowing tears, she managed a small smile. "I'll hate him forever if he doesn't make it through this."

"He wouldn't want that." Nick returned her smile.

"Then he better make it." Her smiled faded and she appeared to be on the verge of breaking down again.

"I'm going to take you home, and stay with you for a while, okay?"

"You don't have to stay."

"Do you really want to be alone?" He raised an eyebrow, doubt obvious in his voice.

"No…" She admitted, looking away.

"I want to help you through this, Sara. Let me help you."

She nodded silently.

"Alright. Let's go before people start getting curious and wanting to ask questions." Nick stood up and helped her climb to her feet. "Do you need anything out of your locker?"

"No." Sara picked up her jacket and held it tightly. "I'm ready to leave."

"Okay, let's go." He closed her locker for her, and put an arm around her, leading her out of the room and into the lab.

Heads turned as they walked by and whispers seemed to follow them, but everyone kept their distance as Nick and Sara made their way out of the building, her face stained by the tears that had finally stopped flowing.

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To be continued... 

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It gives me that warm fuzzy feeling...


	3. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"Make yourself at home." Sara said, speaking for the first time since they had left the lab, as she unlocked the door and motioned Nick inside.

"Thanks." He entered and glanced around the small apartment.

"Can I get you something?" She asked softly, setting her keys and purse down on the kitchen counter. "I'm not sure if there's anything actually edible in the fridge…"

"I'm fine, Sara. Don't worry about me- just take care of yourself."

Sara looked at him and tried to smile, but it faded almost as quickly as it appeared.

"Why don't you go change?" Nick nodded toward her bloodstained pants. "That'd be a start, right?"

"I guess…" She looked down at her clothes and sighed softly. "Then what?"

"I don't know. Just take it one step at a time."

"Alright." She nodded, wandering off into her bedroom.

Standing near the kitchen, Nick surveyed the apartment curiously. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it seemed to fit Sara- small, but warm and personal. He had no doubt that she could take refuge in the presence of her books and treasured items. Crossing into the livingroom area, he found his attention drawn to the bookshelves near the desk.

Most of the books were textbooks and mystery novels, including the entomology book Sara had once mentioned Grissom giving her, but, despite the assortment, he found nothing that grabbed his interest. Continuing his exploration, he moved his attention to the desk itself- immediately focusing on a picture frame on the desk.

Picking it up, Nick studied the photo carefully. It was a black and white print of Sara and Greg in front of one of the large fountains downtown. Sara was walking up on the ledge, one hand brushing the water while the other held onto Greg's hand as he walked along the ground below her. Both were laughing, their eyes focused on each other rather then the camera.

Nick broke his gaze from the picture as the door to Sara's room opened and she slowly came out, having changed into gray pajama pants and a black t-shirt. He gave her a small smile as he put the picture back on the desk.

"I was admiring the photo. It's pretty."

Sara nodded, wandering over to his side to look at the photo as well. "I have a friend in the building who's a photographer. Greg and I ran into her one day as we were coming in and she asked us if we wanted to model for her."

"You obviously said yes."

"She gave me that photo, saying it was her favorite."

"You both look happy in it." He gave her a sad smile.

"We were." She looked away from the photo and down at the floor.

"Sara…?"

"Every time I think I'm finally at a point where I can be truly happy, the universe does something to royally screw me over."

"Honestly, Sar, I think the universe has more important things to do than screw over a Vegas CSI." Nick gave her a good-natured grin.

"Well, someone's out to get me." She muttered.

"Did you ever consider that you've just had a string of really bad luck? It has to come to an end at some point. It'll get better."

"I hope so, Nick. I really hope so." Sara looked over at him sadly.

"Try and get some sleep." He offered with a sigh. "You'll feel better."

She said nothing- simply nodding dully and wandering back into the bedroom, closing the door behind her halfway.

Crossing the darkened room to her bed, Sara crawled under the cool sheets and closed her eyes. Wishing Greg was safe and there with her, she finally drifted off into a restless sleep.

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To be continued... 


	4. Chapter 3

Sorry it has taken me so long to update… School has been incredibly busy, but I'm back for the moment.  
Thank you to every one who keeps reviewing, it means a lot to me. I'll try not to leave such a large gap between this and the next chapter...

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**Chapter Three**

"_Sara? Sara!" A voice called to her through a heavy veil of sleep._

_Grumbling under her breath, she turned over. "What?" She mumbled, yawning as she did so._

"_Nothing. I was just wondering if you were awake." There was laughter in his voice as he told her this._

"_I am now." Sara sleepily opened her eyes and glared at him. "If you're going to wake me up, you better have a damn good reason."_

_Greg grinned at her boyishly, crossing his arms behind his head as he glanced from her to the ceiling. "I missed you. Is that a good reason?"_

"_That is an excellent reason." She smiled, propping herself up on her elbows beside him and gazing down at him. "Is it true?"_

"_Of course. I hate being away from you."_

"_But I was right next to you."_

"_You were so far away." He reached up and ran a hand along her hair. "You're still too far."_

_Sara smiled as she leaned in and kissed him. _

"_That's better." Greg murmured contently, wrapping his arms around her, as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Sara?"_

"_Yes?" She replied softly, eyelids already closing again in sleep._

"_Let's stay like this… forever…"_

Sara opened her eyes in the darkness of her room and sat up slowly in confusion. After a moment of thought, she remembered the events of the morning- immediately wishing she hadn't.

'Maybe this is the dream- a nightmare. I'm really asleep next to him and just having some horrible dream that I'll eventually wake up from…' She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs. 'I wish I could believe that…'

The sound of the radio turned on low and the unmistakable sounds of her decrepit coffeemaker were reminders that Nick was still in her apartment and that the situation was all too real.

'But that dream was real, too. He was here, at my side, he held me, he said he wanted forever…' She took a shaky breath, relaxing a little.

Shifting into a cross-legged sitting position, she ran a hand over her face to make sure there were no tears, and then ran her fingers through her sleep-matted hair. Staring at her hands, Nick's voice echoed through her head. 'You've got to be strong, Sara', he had said. She knew he was right, that breaking down would solve nothing, but it was hard to be strong when her hands still seemed stained from Greg's blood.

She was contemplating whether or not to crawl back under the covers and lose herself to dreams again when she heard Nick mutter a string of mild profanities from the direction of the kitchen. Smiling sadly, she kicked away a lingering blanket and slid her bare feet slowly to the floor.

"It sounds like the coffeemaker has claimed another victim." Sara commented, in a soft voice that seemed almost fragile, as she came out of the bedroom.

Nick glanced over at her from where he stood in front of the appliance in question. "This thing is evil, Sara."

"I know, but I've become attached to its problematic ways… kinda like Hodges…" She gave him a small smile as she walked past him, into the kitchen.

He laughed appreciatively while shaking his head. Turning his attention from the coffee to the brunette, his amusement faded. "How are you?"

"I don't know…" She turned on the water at the sink and watched it run.

"I'm sorry."

She glanced at him over her shoulder as she reached for something in a nearby cabinet. "For what?"

"Not being able to do more for you."

"You're here… that's more than enough."

Nick frowned with a short shake of his head, dismissing her claim. "It hurts to see you suffering so much."

"I'll be alright, Nick. I've survived through more than you realize." She took a pill bottle out of the cabinet and looked at it for a moment before putting it back. "I've come face to face with death so many times in my life- it's no stranger."

"But it's never been someone this close to you, has it?"

Sara turned off the water and watched the faucet as it dripped slowly.

"Sara?"

"As strange as it sounds… I don't how to answer that." She turned around and faced him.

"What do you mean?" Nick stepped closer to her, seeing the sad confusion in her eyes.

"I don't know… I mean, I guess I have lost someone close to me. It's just…" Sara took an uncertain breath. "I lost my father when I was fourteen and it was an event that has shaped my whole life… but I don't know if I really loved him."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be." She tried to give him a brave smile, but it faltered. "I've accepted what happened and moved on… or at least tried to. I try not to think about it much."

"I can understand that. Best not to keep reopening old scars, right?"

"Yeah."

Nick watched her as she stared down at the floor. It was so strange to him to see her so quiet and broken. She had always been the strong one- fearless and proud. He knew very few things that could bring out such a frail side of her, and he was sure of this one.

"You really do love Greg, don't you?"

Sara looked up at him, her eyes meeting his- and words were not necessary.

"Some CSI I am. I hadn't even noticed." He gave a short laugh.

"We didn't really want anyone to know."

"Why not?" Nick frowned, motioning her to sit down on the couch.

"I don't know." She gave a small shrug as she sat beside him. "I guess we were afraid."

"That we wouldn't understand?"

"That and… I guess I didn't think you wouldn't take it seriously." Sara gave a sad smile. "Come on, Nick, you've got to admit that we're an… unlikely… couple."

He smiled back at her. Gently touching her arm, he turned serious once again. "I can see how serious you are. We're your friends, Sara. We're practically your family. We would have understood."

"You can say that, but…"

"It's impossible to know how we really would have reacted?"

"Under different circumstance, your reaction may have been much different. We'll never know."

"No, we won't. But does that really matter?"

"I guess not." She shrugged again. "In the end, a lot doesn't matter."

"What does matter is that we understand and we're here for you now- whatever happens."

As if it were on a silent cue, Nick's cell phone began to ring. He glanced quickly at Sara before answering it.

Sara watched him closely as he spoke- the cold feeling of fear flowing through her veins. She could tell the news wasn't good- Greg wasn't okay- but didn't seem to be the news she was dreading. The question was: how bad was Greg's condition and would that news be coming soon?

"She's right here… I'll tell her… Alright, bye." Nick hung up his phone and stared at it for a moment.

"Nicky?" Sara gently laid a hand on his shoulder- her voice full of fear. "What's going on?"

He looked over at her slowly. With a long sigh he looked away, unable to face her as he gave her the news. "They lost Greg into a coma during surgery. They don't know if he'll wake up."

She said nothing, her mind drifting back to a case she had once worked- _the husband had been so happy that his wife was going to live that he didn't seem to understand that she would never wake up. She would never leave that hospital and he would never hear her voice again or see her smile._

'Could I live like that?' She wondered to herself. 'Could I spend the rest of my life only seeing Greg in a hospital bed? Talking to him when I know that he will not respond?'

"There's still a chance he'll wake up." Nick said softly, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"I'm not going to give up on him." She stated, shaking her head. "I…I just…" Her voice drifted off as she fought to hold back tears, but found she didn't have the strength.

Nick wordlessly put his arm around her and let her cry on his shoulder. He wished he had words to comfort her, but he knew nothing would remove the pain and fear that had settled within her.

After a while, the sound of her sobs subsided andwas replaced with the sound of slow breathing. Glancing down at her, he smiled to see her sleeping soundly, almost peacefully.

For the first time, Nick realized how tired he was. Leaning back onto the couch, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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To be continued... 


	5. Chapter 4

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far and has been so patient with my gaps in updates…  
Now that all my college apps are in, this should be updated a little more regularly (I hope).

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**Chapter Four**

Night had begun to set on the world outside the apartment as Nick slowly awoke from a deep sleep. Sitting up on the edge of the couch, he stretched his stiff muscles and gave a long sigh.

'Sara really does not have comfortable furniture… although, she has warm blankets.' He smiled to himself at the brunette's thoughtfulness of draping a blanket over the sleeping CSI at some time during the day.

Picking up his cell phone, he frowned as he saw the time and saw that there were no messages.

'No news is good news, I suppose.' He sighed inwardly as he stood and wandered to the bedroom doorway- surprised when he found Sara was not within.

Trying to ignore his growing concern, he checked the bathroom and returned to the livingroom. The brunette was nowhere in the apartment, nor was there any kind of note. Not having any other ideas, he stepped out of the apartment and glanced up and down the hallway.

"You looking for Sara?" A blonde woman asked from across the hall as she unlocked her door while balancing a grocery bag.

"You seen her?"

"She's on the roof." The blonde gave a vague nod toward the ceiling.

"The roof?" Nick echoed. "How do I get up there?"

"Stairs at the end of the hall."

"Thanks." He gave her a quick nod before hurrying off for the stairs. He tried to keep calm as he took the stairs two at a time, but his mind was more than a little panicked.

As he neared the top of the stairs, he slowed and opened the door cautiously.

Sara glanced over at him, her hair blowing gently in the autumn breeze, and then turned her gaze back to something in the west. She had exchanged her pajamas for black pants and a light blue top, over which she pulled her 'Forensics' jacket tightly around her, but the tired sadness was still obvious on her face.

Nick wandered over to where the brunette was standing, several feet from the edge of the building, and stood next to her.

"What are you looking at?" He asked gently, hoping Sara had a good reason for standing on the roof.

"The sunset. I've never thought much about them. It's just one of those things that's out of our control. We can't stop time, we can only make the most out of what we're given."

"We never have enough time."

"No, we don't."

He looked from Sara to the deep purple sky, knowing the worst-case scenario that must have been playing in her mind, but, once again, found he was at a loss for words that would bring any comfort to the brunette.

"You said to me once that when it was our time to die, it was our time. I don't really believe that this is Greg's. Do you?"

"I know that I don't want to believe that it is, but, beyond that, I don't know. It doesn't seem fair to have such a short amount of time…"

"It's not fair."

"I suppose it would be foolish to expect an eternity…" Sara said softly.

"I don't think so." Nick shook his head slowly.

"You don't?"

"I think you and Greg will be eternal. No matter what happens today, or tomorrow, or twenty years from now, he will always be in your memories and in your heart- that is eternity. Even if he's not at your side, he's with you. Never let go of that, Sara. Never let go."

Sara nodded, looking up at the night sky with tear-free eyes. Although she seemed stronger on the outside, Nick could still see the fear and pain. The certain shimmer of strength he was so used to those brown eyes had faded, leaving a distant dullness that seemed hauntingly sad. He had never seen her cry before, and yet he had given her his shoulder, not only once but twice, in the span of a single day.

'What's going to happen to her if Greg doesn't…' He couldn't bring himself to finish his thought as he followed Sara's gaze across the sky.

"Grissom hasn't called, has he?" She looked over at Nick.

"No, he hasn't."

She stared in his direction for a moment, eyes unfocused in thought. Suddenly, she met his eyes and spoke confidently. "I'm going into the lab tonight."

"What?" Caught off guard by such a statement, Nick frowned. "Are you sure?"

Sara nodded. "I can't just sit here in my apartment crying and wishing none of this had happened. I need to be doing something… I need to keep living. I can't waste the time I've been given."

"Okay." He nodded, understandingly. "But don't push yourself. If you're not ready to face everything yet, you don't have to."

"I'll be okay. I've got you looking after me, right?" She smiled sadly at him.

"Right." Nick turned his gaze to the setting sun, knowing that it had been a day that none of them would forget, no matter what the sunrise might bring.

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To be continued… 


	6. Chapter 5

Hmm… I guess I took a little longer between updates than I had intended… the holidays were part of the problem, and I was having some problems getting a few parts of this chapter to come together in a way I was happy with.  
A mild warning- there will be a little GSR hints throughout this chapter and the next few... not much, but I want to give far warning to Sandle purists  
Anyway, here it finally is. Thanks to everyone who's so patient with me and continuing to review!

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Several hours later, after showers and a dinner of Chinese takeout (which Sara had hardly touched), Nick entered into the cool air of the lab, with Sara following close behind.

Although she did not seem to waiver under the curious stares and whispers as she headed for Grissom's office, the confidence that normally was present in her stride was gone. Her gaze was fixed ahead of her and she stayed close to Nick as they wound their way through the maze of hallways.

Hesitating, for the first time, just out the office, Sara glancing inside to see Catherine and Warrick at the chairs in front of the desk, where Grissom sat as he flipped through a file folder. Taking a deep breath, she entered the office first- causing all three CSIs to look up in surprise.

"Sara? I didn't think you would come in tonight." Grissom took off his glasses, leaning forward to study her closely.

"Here I am." She shrugged with a weak smile.

"How you holding up?" Warrick looked up at her as she wandered nearer to the desk, concern in his dark eyes.

"Alright, I guess."

"Do we have any leads?" Nick asked, glancing between the supervisor and Catherine.

The redhead shook her head sadly. "Not at the moment."

"Do we know anything?" Sara looked toward Grissom, her eyes pleading, almost desperate, for some hope to hold onto.

"Very little." The supervisor replied, looking away from her gaze.

She dropped her gaze down to the floor momentarily, a thoughtful expression replacing the despair. "What can I be doing to help?"

"Are you sure you're up to it?" He glanced from her to Nick, who nodded in reply.

Sara also nodded, standing straighter as if his doubt gave her more confidence. "I'm sure. I need to be doing something."

"Alright." Grissom consented. "Warrick is in charge of the original 419 you were working. He brought in the computer from the scene. Can you start processing that?"

"Sure. I'll go get started." She gave the others an unconvincing smile as she turned and left the office.

Catherine waited until the brunette was out of sight before turning to Nick. "In my opinion, she doesn't seem okay, but you're the one who's been with her all day… How do you think she's holding up?"

"Considering everything, better then she could be. She seems to have accepted the situation with the mindset that she has to keep going, no matter what happens." Nick stared off in the direction Sara had gone.

"This can't be easy for her." Warrick glanced between Nick and the supervisors.

"It's not." Catherine answered. "She's a strong woman, but she's not that strong."

"She loves him much deeper that any of us could have realized." Nick replied sadly, almost guiltily. "They really love each other."

"The grief she's feeling is very different from what we're feeling." Catherine nodded understandingly.

Warrick sighed sadly. "We would be losing a close friend, where Sara..."

"She'd be losing a future." Grissom finished quietly.

The others looked between each other and the open file on Grissom's desk, considering his words. After a long silence, Nick finally spoke.

"What can I be doing to catch the bastard that did this?"

The supervisor nodded as if he had expected the question. "I want you to work with Warrick and Sara. The 419 was a young man, found shot in his livingroom. Warrick and Catherine already have finished processing the house, but there's a lot of evidence to process here. Check in with Sara occasionally to see if she's learned anything, and just to make she's okay." Grissom glanced toward the men.

"We will." Warrick assured him as he stood. "We'll let you know if we find anything important."

Catherine watched Nick and Warrick leave before turning back to Grissom. "And that leaves us with Greg's case…"

Grissom nodded silently, expression tired and sad.

The redhead watched him sympathetically. "We've all been so concerned about Sara, but what about you? How are you doing?"

He gave a deep sigh. "I'm trying, Catherine. What else can I say?"

"I understand."

A momentary silence fell between them in which Catherine shifted in the unusual awkwardness.

"You know, Gil, I'm kind of surprised at how well you've handled all this about Sara's relationship with Greg."

"It didn't really come as a surprise to me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I may be socially inept, but I do notice people changing." He looked down at his desk thoughtfully. "I've known Sara a long time, and I've seen her struggle through some awful times. I've seen her change- not always in good ways." He glanced up at Catherine. "The last few months I've seen her with Greg, and, for the first time in a long time, I've seen her happy again. Some of those changes have started to… undo… and I'm seeing some of that young woman I once knew return. I wish you could have known her back then, Catherine…"

"She was different then?"

"She was Sara, but she…" Grissom drifted off, having no words to describe the young woman he knew her as- maybe even loved her as. "I don't know where to begin... she'll always be Sara."

Catherine sighed, giving him a sympathetic smile. "The truth is, Gil, I'll never know her the way you do. She won't let me- or anyone else. Greg is the first person she's let close to her since…"

"Since?"

"Since she realized you couldn't return her affection, and never would."

He didn't respond immediately. He gazed at the redhead thoughtfully, knowing that she was right- and that she knew it as well. Finally, he spoke again with a soft voice, allowing his concern to bleed through.

"I'm afraid of what losing Greg will do to her."

"It will destroy her emotionally."

"We'll lose her." Grissom agreed quietly. "I've already lost her once, I don't want to lose her again."

"All we can do is wait." Sadness shone in Catherine's eyes as she watched the supervisor. He would never admit it out loud, but she knew that it pained Grissom to see how deeply Sara loved Greg. It was that pain, though, that made her realize that he held affections for the brunette- perhaps buried deeply, but still there. 'He loves her enough to want her to be happy- even if he is not the one to give that happiness.'

"We can do more than wait." Grissom shook his head, his voice drawing Catherine out of her thoughts.

"What can we do?"

"We can catch the bastard that did this."

She couldn't help but smile.

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To be continued... 


	7. Chapter 6

Thank you to all who continue to review! You guys rock! I've had several people ask why Sara hasn't gone to see Greg yet… and the best answer I can give is that I haven't gotten to that chapter yet. I promise that she will go to see him soon (the chapter after next). I had planned on it being earlier in the story, but the chapters ended up longer than I had anticipated, so it got pushed back.  
As for updates, I start finals next week and the next chapter isn't finished yet, so it may be a couple weeks before I update again. Please bear with me!  
Warning: On top of the angst of Greg's conditions, this chapter has some good, old-fashioned, Sara/Grissom angst. Aren't I evil?

* * *

**Chapter Six  
**

Sara sighed as she scanned a list of files on the computer screen. She'd been working at the computer for over an hour and had so far found nothing useful. The victim seemed to be a computer packrat, saving everything. She had not started sifting through the e-mails, noticing that the messages went back almost two years- while this increased her chances of finding something useful, it would be a time-consuming and she currently lacked the energy for such an undertaking.

Once again, it was one of those nights when the lab was oddly quiet, with only a few random techs and officers wandering past the room occasionally. Warrick had stopped by briefly to check on her, but other then that, she had been left alone to work. However, as she glanced through a list of files labeled 'fishing trip', Sara sensed someone watching her from the doorway.

Resisting the urge to look up, she continued working. She knew if she did look up, whoever it was would just ask questions, or want to talk, and she was tired of questions to which she knew no answers and talk that brought her no comfort.

Continuing on with her work, she heard soft footsteps come up behind and the gentle cough of someone subtly trying to gain her attention.

Sighing internally, she finally looked up and was surprised to find Conrad Ecklie standing beside her.

"Sorry to bother you." He said with honesty that amazed Sara. "What are you working on?"

"Looking for anything that could point to a motive- you know, e-mail threats, a blackmail list…"

"Find anything?"

"Not so far." She replied with defeated shrug.

Ecklie nodded slowly. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. He did this several times before words finally were spoken.

"I know you might not believe me, but I'm sorry about what happened out there. I'm glad you weren't hurt and I hope Sanders pulls through this."

"Thanks." She looked up and gave him a small, sad, smile. "I do believe you."

"I appreciate that." He shifted uncertainly. "If you need to take any time off, you know you can, right?"

"Yeah. I don't need time right now, though."

"I understand. You'd rather be here- that's fine. Just know if you need anything, say so."

"Okay." She nodded and watched as he started to walk away.

Stopping about halfway to the door, he turned back to her. "Sara, if anyone can find out who did this, it's you and the others. This is the best lab in the country, it won't let down one of it's own." Ecklie nodded understandingly before leaving.

Once he was gone, Sara turned back to the computer, and with newfound energy, began the daunting task of searching through e-mails.

Several hours later, Sara wandered down the lab hallway to Grissom's office, a file folder in hand. Knocking softly on the door as she entered, she found the supervisor alone at his desk.

"How are you, Sara?" He looked up at her as she came toward him.

"Alright. How about you?"

"I'm okay." Grissom nodded slowly.

"How's the case?" Sara asked hesitantly.

"We don't have much." He admitted, glancing down at his desk to avoid her eyes. "How about yours? Find anything useful?"  
"The vic was being blackmailed."

"That's good." He gave a wry smile, seeing Sara's confused expression. "For the case, not for him."

She didn't smile in return. "Brass is trying to locate the PO box the blackmailer used. That's our best lead at the moment."

"That's a difficult lead- it could make the case or it could just run you in circles."

"Running in circles would still be better then doing nothing."

Grissom studied her silently. No matter how uncaring anyone though his heart might be, it was aching for the sadness he saw staring back at him. He wanted nothing more then to take her in his arms and tell her that everything would be okay, but he remained in his chair, watching her.

"You would think, after all these years, I wouldn't be surprised at how fast life can change." Sara said suddenly, breaking the silence. "One minute, we've got everything, and then, in one instant, we can lose it."

"You haven't lost anything, yet."

If she heard him, she didn't acknowledge it. Staring thoughtfully off into a corner of the office, she continued softly. "I was so afraid to love again, to give someone my heart. I've been hurt so many times by people I thought I loved… I pushed him away for so long… Then one day, I'm alone in my apartment and I realize how miserable I really am. I hate being alone- I was alone for too long. And then, I thought, maybe it'd be worth it." She paused, blinking back a tear. "Maybe it'd be worth the risk of being hurt. There was just this… draw… to him- I couldn't ignore it. So, I took the risk- I stopped pushing him away and stopped trying to deny what I felt. I fell in love, and, for the first time, someone loved me back. There was no pain… we were happy."

Grissom opened his mouth to speak, but found that no words came to him immediately. He slowly shook his head, an expression of grief on his aged features.

Snapping out of her thoughtful trance, she turned to Grissom, shaking her head rapidly. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have… I don't know why I just said all that." She babbled quickly, like she had done so many times before, as she turned to leave.

"Sara, stay." He commanded gently. "Please, don't walk away- I've let you do that too many times."

Turning back around, she stared at him warily from across the desk.

"Sara…" Grissom gave a sigh, taking off his glasses as he leaned toward her. "I know the last few years may not have worked out the way you planned them, but it will all work out in the end."

She looked at him, her expression so sad and broken that he had to look away. "How does Greg dying 'work out in the end'?"

He flinched at the bluntness of her question, continuing to stare blankly at his desk to avoid her gaze. "He's not dead, Sara. He can still pull through this."

"I wish I could believe that, I really wish I could, but a part of me refuses to. I've seen so many people die… I'm afraid I've lost the innocence to believe that it will all just be okay…" She gazed down at the file in her hand. "I don't want Greg to die- I don't know if I can bear to watch him die. But the worst part is, I don't why this happening. I just want to know why I can't seem to hold on to anything I love…" Sara dropped her head down, her hair falling across her face.

Finally looking up, he stood slowly- coming around his desk toward her. He did not need to see her face to know that she was holding back tears. Reaching out, he laid a hand on her arm.

"I don't think there is an answer." Grissom told her softly. "I have no answer, Sara."

"I don't either…" She replied quietly, distantly. "I just wanted to be happy. Was that too much to hope for?" She glanced up at him, eyes still shining with tears.

"No. You deserve to be happy." He gave her a small smile, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

Sara managed a meek smile back. "Thank you, Grissom- I know this isn't easy on either of us."

"It's much harder on you. I know how hard it is to try to come to terms with losing someone you love."

"You do?"

"I was twenty-five. I lost a very close friend of mine..." His voice was laced with sorrow as he looked at her.

"How did you cope with that?"

"I lost myself into my work." Grissom gave a sad smile. "To this day, I'm not sure if that was the right decision to make. I've lost many things due to that choice." He met her eyes. "But it was different then. You have people here to help you through this."

"You?"

He nodded. "Me. And Nick, and Warrick- even Catherine." Grissom watched her for a moment before speaking again. "Promise me something, Sara."

"What?"

"I need you to stay strong, no matter what happens to Greg…" He paused thoughtfully. "You may never have been mine to lose, but, all the same, I can't lose you, Sara. Promise me you'll be strong."

"I promise you that I'll try." Sara gave a sad laugh. "Is that enough?"

"I suppose it will have to do."

"Will you promise me something?"

He nodded.

"Promise me that my relationship with Greg isn't going to change anything between us. I'm still gonna need you as a friend and as a boss- you're an important part of my life, Gris."

"And you're a very important part of mine, Sara. That won't change, I promise." Despite his words, he could not help but feel they were saying some kind of strange goodbye. He realized that the words they had just exchanged marked an end to many years of unrequited feelings and heartbreaks, but at the same time, it was the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship- hopefully a better one.

Sara started slightly as her cell phone broke the silence of the office. She wiped away the remainder of a tear as she answered it. "Sidle."

Grissom watched her expression as she listened to whoever it was that had called- her face betraying no emotion, save the sadness in her eyes that had seemed unyielding in the last twenty-four hours.

"Alright, I'll meet you out front." Sara nodded slowly, and then shut her phone. "That was Brass. I need to go."

A dozen thoughts whirled around his mind- all things he should say before Sara walked away, but he couldn't sort any one thing out properly. Instead, he said softly, "Good luck."

"Thanks." She gave Grissom a small smile. "I'll see you later."

He watched as she turned and walked out of his office, leaving him alone once more.

* * *

To be continued... 


	8. Chapter 7

Some brief author's notes: With finals ending yesterday, I had the time to finish up this chapter today. It shouldn't be long before the next chapter is out. Also, I was able to do some updating to my Sandle website (the link is on my author page) and made a computer wallpaper based off this story (using Nick's quote about eternity from a couple chapters ago). So if you're interested, check it out and leave a note in the guestbook, I'd appreciate it.  
As for this chapter, it's the longest so far, but itrevolves more around the case then Sara and Greg's relationship. Next chapter will get back to them…

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

After Sara had left his office, Grissom had turned his full attention back to Greg's case- losing all track of everything else, including time. Without realizing it, he worked through the end of his shift and halfway through the day shift before he was interrupted.

"Gil." Ecklie's voice stirred him from his thoughts as the assistant director hovered in the doorway.

Grissom looked up and frowned at the other man's presence. "Conrad."

"Any leads in Sanders' case?"

The supervisor shook his head slowly, sadly. "No."

Ecklie nodded, moving a little further into the office- an unusual look of concern on his face. "Have any of your CSIs gotten any sleep in the last 36 hours. Have you?"

"I haven't. Nick and Sara did, but if anyone else has, it was minimal."

"I know that you are all worried about Sanders and want to find whoever is responsible, but this can't be healthy on any of you. Besides, what good can you do if you're exhausted?"

"If this is about overtime pay…" Grissom shook his head threateningly.

Ecklie held up his hands in defense. "It's not." He shifted, making it clear that this was awkward territory for him. "Maybe to the sheriff it is, but I don't care. I'm saying this out of consideration for you and your CSIs."

"I appreciate that."

"What are you going to do?"

"We already have a meeting scheduled in twenty minutes. If no one has any solid leads, I'm sending everyone home." Grissom sighed, motioning vaguely off to one side.

"And, if you have a lead?"

The supervisor shrugged. "See where it takes us?"

Ecklie sighed as well, but gave a nod. "Do you mind if I sit in?"

"No."

"The sheriff wants an update as well, perhaps it would just be easier to have him hear the facts straight from CSI."

"Perhaps." Grissom replied half-heartedly.

Ecklie frowned. "Get some rest at some point, Gil. You're looking old."

* * *

For the first time, Grissom really did feel old, and tired. He was frustrated with the lack of evidence he and Catherine had found in Greg's case and he blamed himself. He had dedicated his life to solving crimes and yet he seemed unable to do anything for one of his own CSI. Rubbing his forehead, he gave a long sigh. 

"You okay?" Catherine asked, concern for the supervisor obvious in her tone.

"Tired." Grissom replied, glancing across the table at her.

"We all are." The redhead gave a weary smile. "But, we've got to see this through. For Greg… and Sara."

The supervisor nodded.

"Why are Ecklie and the sheriff heading this direction?" Catherine's tone immediately became colder.

"They're sitting in on the meeting."

"Oh." She watched the two men enter the room with mild apprehension.

"Are the others coming?" Ecklie asked, glancing at the empty seats at the large conference table.

"They should be here momentarily." Grissom motioned to two seats. "Please, sit."

"Do you have any idea who shot your CSI?" The sheriff asked as soon as he was seated.

"I'm afraid I don't. I'm hoping the others will."

"Has his condition changed at all?"

Grissom shook his head. "No. Greg's stable, but in a coma."

The sheriff frowned. "And the other CSI, the one he was working with, was unhurt?"

"Sara's fine, physically."

"Physically?"

"She's taken Greg's situation very hard. They're close." Catherine explained, glancing over at Grissom, who gave a small nod of agreement.

The sheriff considered this for a moment before speaking. "I see. Is she back at work tonight?"

"She is."

"Here they come."Grissom nodded toward the hallway, as Sara, Nick and Warrick approached.

As they entered,Catherine could see that the younger CSIs had something. Nick and Warrick had the excited look of knowledge and Sara seemed more awake and confident than she had before. The latter was carrying a small stack of file folders, whichCatherine hoped held the answers they were all searching for.

"You know something." The redhead accused as the men sat down across from her.

"Fortunately, Sara got a hold of some vital evidence and was able to send us in the right direction, 'cause we got nothing off the footprints and trace evidence." Nick looked up at Sara and grinned.

Sara returned a meek smile, hovering at the end of the table. "I got lucky."

"She's so modest." Warrick laughed. "She put it all together before Nick and I got the first two pieces together."

"You know who killed the vic?" Grissom asked, avoiding the question they were all wondering about- he couldn't bring himself to ask if she knew who shot Greg.

"I think so."

"Let's hear it." Catherine urged, now wide-awake.

Sara set the first file on the table, opening it to show a picture of a young man. "The victim's name was Joshua Anderson- a fairly successful business owner."

"That name sounds familiar." Ecklie commented.

"It should. Two years ago, CSI worked a case that involved his business."

"Weren't there three owners? One was killed and another was found guilty of his murder?"

The brunette nodded. "You're correct. Patrick Randolph was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of the third owner. Because of this, Joshua became the sole owner…"

"Increasing his income significantly." Nick added with a smirk.

"Now, the CSI that worked the case was never really convinced Patrick was the murderer. There was sufficient evidence against him, but, according to the report, it seemed suspicious. However, despite all that, the case still went to trial and Patrick was found guilty. It seems that there was suspicion that Joshua Anderson framed Patrick in order to take over the business." Warrick explained, taking another file from Sara and showing the others a picture of Patrick Randolph.

The sheriff looked from the picture to Sara, still frowning. "It's plausible, but I'm not seeing where this is leading."

"Joshua was being blackmailed. He was receiving an e-mail every week for some designated amount of money to be sent to a PO box." Sara replied, laying out several e-mail printouts.

"Someone knew that he had framed the other guy?" Catherine asked.

"That was my guess. The e-mails started a few weeks after the guilty charge was brought down."

Grissom nodded, starting to see the pieces fall into place. "So, you traced the PO box…"

"Brass was able to track it, but when we went there, the name it was registered under was fake. However, I was able to pull a print from the inside of the box." Sara handed another file to Nick.

"It came back to a Michael Randolph. His prints were on file for an assault charge about five years ago." Nick showed the supervisors a rap sheet and picture.

"Another Randolph? That's not a coincidence." The sheriff commented.

"He's Patrick Randolph's younger brother." Nick replied.

Warrick tapped on the papers. "The print by itself doesn't mean much, but knowing his family's connection to the vic…"

"You've got a suspect." Ecklie gave a nod.

"What I don't understand is… why kill Joshua? There's no more blackmail money and there's no chance of clearing his brother's name- if he had any interest in that at all." Catherine glanced between the three CSIs.

Sara looked down at the papers spread across the table before answering. "I think, at one point, he did. My guess is he had no more solid proof of the frame up than the police did, but he knew enough to frame the guy. Maybe, he figured Joshua would come clean, if threatened enough."

"Still, why did Joshua end up dead?" Grissom asked.

"Patrick Randolph died in prison, three days ago." Sara said softly.

A silence fell over the room, everyone considering what they had just been told.

"Where does the CSI fit in?" The sheriff asked bluntly, breaking the silence.

"I don't know." Sara shook her head slowly.

Grissom looked from the brunette to the sheriff. "We know that the same gun that killed Joshua Anderson shot Greg."

"So if this Michael Randolph killed this Joshua guy, he is also probably responsible for the shooting of the CSI."

"It seems likely."

Catherine watched the shine disappear from Sara's eyes at the mention of Greg. Her sympathy for the brunette fueled her desire to find the man that was responsible. Looking at the other CSIs, she could tell they shared that thought. "I think we need to talk to Michael."

"Brass is looking for him as we speak." Warrick answered confidently.

* * *

Leaning near the doorway, Grissom watched as Nick paced back and forth in the police station waiting room. Every couple minutes, the young man would stop and look down the hallway before starting to pace again. 

Catherine and Warrick sat near Grissom, both watching Nick with tired expressions. Across from them, Sara stared blankly out the windows of the room.

"Nicky! Just sit already!" Catherine snapped, breaking the silence of the room. "I know you're just as impatient as the rest of us, but enough is enough." She added, gentler.

"Sorry." Nick stopped and dropped into a chair near Sara, who finally broke her stare to glance over at him.

"What if Brass doesn't find him?" The brunette asked, glancing between the other CSIs.

"Brass'll find him, don't worry." Warrick assured her. "This guy won't get away with what he did."

Sara nodded, but she didn't look terribly reassured. "I just want answers…" She said quietly, the others barely hearing her.

Grissom moved away from the wall and sat down next to Sara, taking her hand as he did so. "If there are answers to be found, Sara, we'll find them."

She looked from him to the others, and smiled. "I know. I believe that."

"Good." The supervisor nodded and sat back in the chair, still holding Sara's hand as they waited.

* * *

Catherine had just started to drift off to sleep, on Warrick's shoulder no less, when she heard the sound of footsteps, followed by Brass's voice. 

"We got him!" The captain announced excitedly.

"He must be a hard man to locate." Nick commented, standing and stretching.

"Hey, we had to check five strip clubs before we finally found him." Brass gave him an annoyed glance.

"I'm sure that was brutal." Sara smirked, giving a soft laugh.

Everyone glanced toward her, surprised to hear her sound a little like her old self, to which the brunette merely shrugged.

Brass gave Sara a dry smile, then nodded toward the hallway. "Come on, let's get this over with."

The CSIs filed out into the hallway, just in time to see a young man being led toward the interview rooms.

"Is that him?" Catherine asked, glancing at the captain.

"Yep. One Michael Randolph."

Nick glanced over at Sara, who was watching the officers and suspect with a wary expression. "Sara…?"

"Yes?" She turned her attention toward him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded, giving an unconvincing smile as she led the way into the viewing room. "I'll be better when all this is over…"

"We all will." Catherine replied. The redhead hung back, along with Warrick and Grissom, away from the glass while Sara and Nick stoodat it.

Nick studied Michael Randolph as they waited for Brass to begin the interrogation. The young man was rather plain in appearance, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, and seemed to fit the stereotype of blackmailers/strip club patrons. The man did not strike Nick as a murderer, but the CSI knew that appearances were too often misleading.

After a minute or so, Brass entered the interrogation room and sat down across from the suspect.

"State your name."

"Michael Randolph." The young man sneered at the captain. "But you knew that."

"I still gotta ask." Brass replied calmly. "Does the name Joshua Anderson mean anything to you?"

"Maybe."

"You're brother knew him, didn't he?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Josh is the biggest S.O.B. this side of the Mississippi. Just because my brother knew him doesn't mean I want anything to do with him."

"Then you didn't have anything to do with his death?"

"If someone killed Josh, he had it coming."

"Really? Why is that?"

"He would do anything for money. He didn't care what lives he ruined in the process."

"You were willing to take his money." Brass raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your print in a PO box that Joshua Anderson was sending blackmail money to and the deposits you made into your account for the same amounts."

Michael shrugged. "He set my brother up."

"So you were avenging your brother?"

"My brother had a kid. I was just looking out for my nephew."

"That's nice of you." The captain gave an insincere smile. "Where does killing Joshua fit into that?"

"What makes you think I killed him?"

"You had motive and we can prove you did it, but do yourself a favor and come clean now."

"Like I said, the guy deserved it."

"Is that a confession?"

"Josh set up my brother. At first I thought I could get him to vouch for Patrick- you know, say he wasn't guilty. Josh bragged, to my face, that he had killed that guy, not Pat. I couldn't do anything for my brother."

"Except blackmail Joshua. You still haven't answered my question."

"When Patrick died, I lost it. I could bear the thought of that… that… bastard walking around, making more money. I took my brother's old gun and went to see Josh."

Brass nodded, a grim expression on his face as he sat forward. "Now, Michael, Joshua wasn't the only one you shot that night."

"News to me."

"I don't think so." The captain shook his head. "The way I see it, you came back to the house and saw the cops wandering around the front yard, so you decided to take a shot at them."

Michael looked at Brass, expression blank. "Did I hit someone?"

"Yeah, you did. You hit a CSI."

"He alive?"

"At the moment.If he dies, you're looking at another murder charge, and probably the death penalty. So, why did you do it? What had they done to you?"

"Two years ago, you people took my brother from me. You took away someone I loved and now he's dead- punished for a crime he never committed…"

Grissom gave a long sigh. "'An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind'." He shook his head.

"I don't understand..." Sara replied, staring at Michael through the glass.

"You don't? Hate and revenge tend to be a part of human nature- Michael hated the people who took his brother away from him and eventually sought revenge against them. I mean, don't you feel hatred toward him for what he did to Greg?" Nick looked from the interrogation room to her.

"No." She shook her head slowly. Looking up at Nick, Sara frowned thoughtfully. "Hate solves nothing, it only leads to more hate. It won't undo what happened to Greg."

Grissom gave a tiny small, fueled by an immense sense of pride in the woman his young student had become.

"What are you going to do now?" Nick asked gently.

"I don't know. I'll figure something out."

"Do you want me to drive you anywhere?"

Sara shook her head with a small smile. "You've been wonderful through all this and I'm incredibly grateful to you, but I need to do this alone. I need to figure out what comes next."

"I understand. Call me if you need anything." He pulled her into a tight hug.

"I will." She gave a brave smile as she headed for the door; pausing briefly, she looked back at them before heading out into the hallway.

"Where do you think she's going?" Catherine asked, watching the brunette walk away.

Grissom gave a tiny shrug. "I don't think she even knows."

"What happens now?"

"We go home. We tell the people we love that we love them," He glanced from Catherine to Warrick to Nick, "And we hope that, one day, Sara will get the chance to do the same."

* * *

To be continued... 


	9. Chapter 8

Here's the chapter many of you have been asking for- Sara finally goes to visit Greg.

We're starting to get to the end of this story, only two or so more chapters left… so, thanks again to everyone who continues to review and comment, I really do appreciate it.

This chapter features lyrics, in italics,from "What Sarah Said" by Death Cab for Cutie. I heard this song and immediately fell in love with it and decided to work it into this chapter. Personally, I think it fits pretty well… as the title might hint.  
Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

And it came to me then that every plan is a tiny prayer to father time  
As each descending peak of the LCD took you a little farther away from me

It struck Sara as ironic that the first place most people know in life is often the last place they know- sterile white walls, cold tiled floors and the unmistakable smell.

She had seen great sadness during her years as a CSI, but walking though the hospital hallways was something she could never get used to. She hated the despair on the faces of family members and friends as they gathered in waiting rooms and hallways, waiting for either death or a miracle. She knew that there were happy endings, but somehow, they seemed to get lost in the beeping of machinery and murmur of apologies for loses.

Sara had never liked hospitals. She had spent far too much of her childhood in waiting rooms, and the years of working with victims and families had certainly not increased her fondness of the place. Desert Palms was certainly the last place she wanted to be visiting Greg, but she did not have much of a choice at that moment.

Slowly, she walked down the white hallway in the direction a nurse had pointed her, glancing at the room numbers as she went, trying to ignore the people within. After what seemed like an endless walk, she neared his open doorway.

Focused completely on Greg, she wasn't watching where she was going and almost tripped over a young girl who was standing near the doorway.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't see you down there." Sara knelt down to the girl's level.

"I'm fine." The young had curly brown hair and was carrying a small teddy bear. Sara guessed she was no older than six. "I'm not 'posed to be down here."

"Where are you supposed to be?"

"Upstairs. My mommy's having a baby." The girl grinned.

"That's wonderful. Are you going to have a little sister or brother?"

"Brother. Daddy wants to name him Greg'ry."

Sara smiled sadly, feeling tears start to form in her eyes. "That's a good name."

"Why are you here?" The girl asked, her eyes shining with innocence.

"I'm visiting my friend." She nodded towards Greg's room.

The girl turned and gazed in the doorway. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"I don't know- I hope so."

"I hope so, too." She smiled cheerfully.

"Thank you." Sara gave a small laugh. "You better get back upstairs, your parents will start to worry."

"Bye." The girl waved and skipped off down the hall, toward the elevator.

"Goodbye." Sara sighed to herself. Standing, she watched the little girl disappear from sight before turning back toward Greg's room.

'Maybe it's fitting…' She thought to herself. 'One story ends while another begins- one Gregory slips from this world while another enters it…'

Wiping away a tear, Sara shook her head of those thoughts as she entered Greg's room.

"You're not going to die, right, Greggo?" She asked, knowing no answer would come.

Standing uncertainly by the door, she wasn't sure what to do- various machines beeped and blinked readouts on their screens around Greg, who lay motionless in the bed. After a moment of watching him, she shut the door behind her and moved a chair to the side of his bed.

_It stung like a violent wind that our memories depend on a faulty camera in our minds  
But I knew that you were a truth I would rather lose than to have never lain beside at all_

Taking his hand in hers, she gave a smile.

"Hey, Greg. Sorry I haven't come to see you sooner, I just needed some time. This is hard… I hate seeing you like this." She intertwined her fingers in his, feeling the familiar warmth of his skin. "We caught the guy that did this to you- he confessed and everything. I know it doesn't change what happened, but at least there's closure, right?"

She watched his face, feeling an overwhelming sadness grow within her. "I miss you, Greg. I need you to wake up. I miss having you near me, the way you laugh at your own stupid jokes… I'm even missing the way you would play your horrible rock music as loudly as you could in the car." She laughed softly at the memory of it. "This last day has been so hard… and so quiet. I want to hear your voice again."

Sara closed her eyes and listened to the rhythmic noises of the machines around them, holding his hand tightly. "You know how they say it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved? Well, I believe that. You've been the best thing to happen to me in a long time, and I don't have any regrets in loving you. These last few months, I've been so happy… I love you, Greg. I hope you know that."

Curling up in the chair, she watched him from under heavy eyelids. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep- like she had done so many times before- at his side.

* * *

Grissom was tired- there was no way to deny it. It had been a long time since he had worked a thirty-six hour shift, especially one as emotionally draining as this one had been. Despite his exhaustion, he was walking through the hallway of Desert Palms Hospital, a destination certain in his mind. 

He had tried to sleep, he really had, but rest would not come. He was worried for Greg, and Sara, and could find no peace in the silence of his home. Instead of staring at his ceiling in a sleepless daze, he had come to the hospital. Why he felt a need to come, he wasn't sure, but he had come nonetheless.

Grissom found himself sighing, something that seemed to be common lately, as he neared Greg's door. Somehow, a small thought of optimism played out a scene in which he would enter to find Greg awake and the doctor apologizing profusely for not calling. However, the thought was short-lived as he glanced through the small window in the door.

Greg's eyes were closed, and his face was peaceful- as if he were merely taking short nap. Next to the bed, Grissom was not surprised to see Sara curled up in a chair. It seemed fitting to him that she be at his side- come what may.

He almost turned around, went back home, but he didn't. Instead, he slipped silently into the room- never taking his eyes off of Sara.

The brunette was sleeping soundly, legs curled under her, and her head resting on her arm. In sleep she didn't seem so sad and broken, in fact, she reminded Grissom of the, happier, young woman he had once found sleeping in the break room.

Standing on the opposite side of Greg's bed from Sara, he watched them for a many minutes. Two days earlier, he couldn't have comprehended the depth of the love that ran between his CSI, but it seemed painfully clear now.

The arm Sara wasn't using as a pillow was stretched out to hold Greg's hand, fingers intertwined with his. Grissom supposed that the little bit of contact that offered was still better than none at all- keeping them connected as death threatened to pull them apart.

Touching Greg's hand gently, Grissom spoke quietly. "Wake up soon, Greg. You're still needed here."

Slowly, he turned and moved back toward the door. Stopping, he looked back toward the sleeping brunette and he thought about the their conversation in his office.

'Sara said that she didn't know if she could bear to watch him die… and yet, here she is.' He mused to himself. 'She'll be at his side until he takes his last breath, whether it be now or sixty years from now. This…' He smiled softly. 'This is love.'

_  
But I'm thinking of what Sarah said that "Love is watching someone die"_

* * *

To be continued… 


	10. Chapter 9

I am **_so_** sorry it had taken me so long it get this chapter out. February is proving to be a stressful and problematic month for me. I really wanted to be happy with this chapter before posting it because… it's the last official chapter! I do have an epilogue written and I'll try to post it in about a week. So, once again, thanks to everyone who's been so patient and supportive… Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Three days passed slowly as the lab returned its routines and began to function again with some semblance of normalcy. However 'normal' the lab appeared to be, the night-shift CSIs were still struggling with the quiet left by Greg's absence and Sara's emotional distance, which seemed to increase with each passing day as Greg's condition did not change.

Spending her nights in the lab and her days split between visiting Greg and attempting to sleep had already begun to take a toll the young woman. The once outspoken and confident brunette had withdrawn, socializing little and immersing herself into her work. Although she hated the loneliness that had come from Greg's absence, Sara could not face the others- their presence only reminded her that their friend, the man she loved, might not wake up.

She tried so hard to stay strong, to keep going and living, but she was becoming more tired with each passing day- both physically and emotionally. Sleep was rare, and restless if it came at all, and her silent apartment was another reminder of the pain of loss she had experienced too many times since she was a child.

On the fifth night after Greg's admittance into the hospital, Sara had barely found the energy to crawl out of her bed, after another sleepless day, and go into the lab, where she felt equally as listless.

Standing in the break room, she didn't bother to turn around as she heard the door open behind her.

"Practicing your telekinetic powers?" Nick asked with a slight laugh.

"What?" Sara glanced at him sleepily, not understanding his question.

"You're staring at the coffee. I was wondering if you were trying to pour yourself a cup without actually picking up the pot." He gave her a boyish smile. "If that's the case, you aren't having a lot of success." Taking the coffeepot, he poured her a cup and then one for himself.

"I don't know what I'm doing, Nick." She shook her head slowly.

His smile faded as he watched her. "You look horrible, Sara."

"I know."

"Is there something I can do?"

Sara sighed, shaking her head. "No. I need to get through this myself. It's just that, so far, I'm not doing a very good job of getting through this."

"You're hurting, that's understandable. I hate to say this, but give it time. It will get easier."

She gave a dry laugh. "I've grown to hate that word."

"What word?"

"Time. We don't have enough and yet everyone tells me to take more of it."

"Sara, look at yourself. You're a mess. Is this really living?" Nick asked softly, compassion evident in his tone.

"No." She admitted, staring blankly at her coffee. "I don't know what to do."

He gave a shrug. "I don't either."

She looked back up at him, her brown eyes distant, and then away, avoiding his gaze.

Gently taking her arm, Nick led her over to the couch and sat her down beside him. "Do you know what one of the first things I thought was when I saw you the first time?"

"What?" Sara replied half-heartedly.

"Well, to be honest, the first thing was 'she's cute', followed by 'she's Grissom's friend- keep your distance', and finally, 'Greg's going to like her… too bad he doesn't stand a chance'."

"Really?" She glanced over at him. "You didn't think he had a chance?"

"We all assumed that there was something between you and Gris…"

"That feels like a lifetime ago…" She gave a short laugh.

"I know, it really does." Nick looked from her to the doorway as Catherine and Warrick silently entered the room.

No one spoke at first as the newcomers filled their coffee cups and watched Sara uncertainly. They could see just as easily as Nick could that the young woman was slipping away.

"It's almost hard to remember what it was like then… we were young… _Greg_ was young." Sara said quietly, perhaps more to herself then anyone else.

"He wasn't even twenty-five when you came." Nick added softly. "We weren't even thirty…"

"Young punks…" Catherine mumbled into her coffee cup.

Sara laughed, still staring down into her coffee. "A lot has changed since then…"

"True, but some things will never change." The redhead replied, turning serious again. "This lab has an obligation to the people it serves- including its own members. We're here for you, Sara, you've just got tell us how we can help."

"That's the thing, I don't know what there is you can do- short of waking Greg up."

"Just talk to us, Sara." Nick replied.

"I don't know what there is to talk about." The brunette glanced up at Catherine. "Words just feel so…"

"Empty?" Catherine asked, genuine sympathy in her voice. Seeing Sara nod in response to her question, she gave a long sigh. "I'm sorry, Sara. I hope those words can mean something."

"They do." Sara gave a brave smile. "I'm glad I've got you guys, I don't know how I would have made it through the last couple days without you."

"You have made it through." Warrick said, speaking for the first time since he had entered. "Love is a powerful thing, Sara."

The brunette nodded understandingly, but her gaze drifted back to her coffee. A contemplative, still, silence fell over the room. They remained in that silence for several minutes, until Grissom hurried through the door and approached the group.

"What's going on?" Catherine asked the supervisor, relieved for a distraction.

"I just got off the phone with the hospital."

"About Greg?" Sara looked up at him hopefully.

He nodded.

"And…?"

"It seems that his condition has improved over the last few hours. The doctor is very optimistic."

"That he's going to wake up?" Warrick asked.

"That he'll wake up, soon." Grissom nodded again. "I explained to the nurse that it was important for a… friend… and member of the crime lab be around if he is to wake up. I told them you'd be there within a half-hour, Sara."

Sara frowned. "I'm not following."

"I want you to be at the hospital with Greg."

"Grissom, I…" She shook her head, handing her untouched coffee back to Nick as she stood.

"There's nothing to discuss, Sara. You should there if he wakes up and I'm sure you want to be there."

"I do."

The supervisor nodded toward the hall. "Then go."

"Thank you." Sara smiled, touching him gently on the arm before leaving.

Grissom gave a small smile as he watched her hurry out of the room and down the hall.

"Do you really think he's going to be okay?" Nick asked once the brunette was out of sight.

"I think he's going to be fine- they both will." Grissom replied, turning to the other CSIs.

Catherine sank onto the couch in the spot Sara had just vacated. "It will be a big relief to everyone to have Greg back. I don't know how much longer Sara could have held on."

"I think she could cope with losing him. It is the… uncertainty… of the situation that had made it so difficult on her." Nick said thoughtfully.

Warrick nodded understandingly. "You can't move on if there's no ending to move on from."

"At this point, let's hope there's no ending in sight."

* * *

Sara paced back and forth along the side of the hospital room, from the door to the wall. Her exhaustion had been replaced with anxiety that she could not shake. Sighing, she glanced out into the hallway before turning and starting to cross back across the room. 

"You're going to wear yourself out at this rate, Honey." The nurse glanced from a monitor she was studying to the brunette.

"I'm just restless." Sara paused and looked over at Greg, smiling sadly. "You have no idea how badly I need him to wake up."

"You're the one who's been visiting him everyday, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he's a very lucky man. I hope he knows that, and, if he doesn't, I'll be sure to tell him."

Sara smiled. "Alright." Sinking back into a chair, she watched the nurse. "How can you stay so optimistic in a place like this?"

"You're a CSI, like Mr. Sanders, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Are you a pessimist?"

"I try not to be."

"There you go."

"But it's so hard sometimes. I mean, everything I've ever encountered tells me that…" She broke off, looking down at the floor.

"Tells you that people die?"

Sara nodded slowly.

"That's certainly true. I think we both know that very well. But, Honey, you've got to remember that people also live. Some people do get a happy ending."

"You're right." The brunette gave her a brave smile.

"I know I am."

Sara laughed, but stopped suddenly, gaze fixed on Greg.

"What is it?" The nurse frowned in concern.

"I'm not sure. I thought…" She stood and went over to the side of the bed. "Greg?"

Sara looked down at the face she had watched for the last few days and felt her heart jump to see a small, almost unnoticeable, movement of his eyelids. She turned quickly to the nurse, who gave her a smile.

"I guess I'm psychic. I'll go get the doctor."

As soon as the nurse had disappeared into the hallway, Sara turned her full attention back to Greg.

"I'm right here, Greg. Come on, please wake up." She watched him carefully, all her dread and fears slipping away as his movement grew stronger. "Greg, can you hear me?"

His lips parted and tried to form words as his eyelids fluttered. After several tries, Greg opened his eyes a sliver and looked up.

"Sara?" His voice was soft, barely a whisper, and was filled with confusion.

She gave a relieved laugh. "Hey, Greg."

"Hey, Beautiful." He smiled weakly. "Where am I?"

"Desert Palms."

"Again? What happened this time?" Greg gave her a dry smile.

"It's a long story… I'll tell you everything after the doctor checks on you." Sara ran a hand down his cheek. "Let's take things one step at a time. I'm just glad you're awake."

"How long have I been here?"

"Five days."

"Five…?" His eyes widened, now completely awake. "Wow…"

A soft knock on the door caused both to look over as the doctor slid into the room. "Mr. Sanders, good to see you've regained consciousness. I'm Dr. McRoe. How do you feel?"

Greg looked up at the doctor, considering the question that had been posed. "Mostly confused… and my side has this dull pain."

"That's to be expected. You were shot." The doctor replied.

"Are you alright?" Greg glanced back at Sara.

"I'm fine- thanks to you."

Greg nodded contemplatively. "Then it was worth it."

Dr. McRoe gave a slight smile. "We're going to keep an eye on you for a few more day before releasing into someone's care. I'll have a nurse give you some more pain medication in a little while."

"Can I have something to eat?"

"I'll have the nurse bring you something."

Greg watched the doctor leave and turned back toward Sara, to find tears sliding down her cheeks. "You're crying."

She nodded, giving a small laugh.

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm happy that you're okay." She looked down at him and smiled. "I was so scared… Just know that if you ever scare me like this again I will hurt you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your logic worries me sometimes."

"You have no idea what the last few days have been like…" She shook her head slowly.

"No, and I don't ever want too."

Rubbing away the tears, Sara sat down on the edge of his bed. "But you're here now, that's all that matters."

"No. You're here with me- that's what matters." Greg took her hand.

She leaned in and kissed him gently on the forehead before laying her free hand on their clasped ones.

"So, you're going to tell me a story…" He grinned at her.

Sara looked at him thoughtfully. "It's a good story- full of murder, revenge, friendship, but, most importantly, love..." She smiled. "It all starts on a night like so many others before it…"

* * *

To be continued... 


	11. Epilogue

Well, we've finally made it to the end. It's kinda sad really…  
As for a sequel? I really don't know. I've hit a serious writer's block this month and I don't have any good ideas for any stories at the moment. If anyone has any suggestions, I will take them into serious consideration- anything to get me writing again.  
So, until paths cross again- thank you to everyone who reviewed and encouraged me through this, your support and comments have really been wonderful.

* * *

**  
Epilogue**

The autumn had yielded its reign of Las Vegas to winter, which in turn was beginning to fade to spring. With the coming spring came a warmer breeze and the promise of new beginnings.

The sun cast its warm afternoon rays over the surface of the small pond, causing the ripples to shine as the wind brushed across the glassy surface. A few ducks lazily paddled around the edges, looking for handouts and neglected picnics.

Sara gazed out at the water from where she sat along the bank and gave a contented sigh.

"What are you thinking?" Greg asked playfully, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"I like ducks. They're funny." She replied dreamily.

He laughed. "That's it…? I was hoping for something a little… deeper."

"Well, I was also thinking that I'm an incredibly lucky woman." Sara grinned as she held up her left hand and admired the way the sun reflected off the three small diamonds that were inlaid in a delicate white-gold ring.

"That's more like it." Greg gave her a squeeze. "Are you happy?"

"Of course." She looked over at him. "I've got you… and I've…"

"Hey, Lovebirds!" A voice yelled from behind them.

Sara sighed. "And I've got friends with the subtly of neon signs…" She turned around to look at Catherine, who was approaching them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this romantic moment…" The redhead smiled.

"No, you're not." Sara interjected.

Catherine just grinned and continued on. "If you two plan on eatingyou better hurry up or Nick and Warrick won't have left you anything."

"We're coming." The brunette assured her, standing.

Satisfied, Catherine turned and headed back for the picnic table.

Holding out her hand, Sara helped Greg stand, noticing that he winced a little as he did so.

"Does it still hurt?" She asked softly.

"Not really. I barely notice it." Greg gave a shrug.

"You're so tough."

He laughed and put his arm around her waist as they started for the table. "I don't notice the pain when you're around…"

"Is that so?"

"It is. As long as I've got you, nothing else matters."

"You're sweet."

He shrugged. "I try."

Sara laughed, turning and kissing him- an action that he happily returned.

"Do you two mind? Some of us are trying to eat." Nick protested from the table, making a face of disgust as Sara turned toward him.

"Sorry, Gris." She smiled over at the supervisor.

Grissom looked up at her and gave her a stern look, which faded into a smile. "It's alright."

Nick glared at the brunette, who laughed, as she and Greg sat down across from him.

"Before we begin, I think we should have a toast." Catherine stood at her spot next to Warrick and raised her bottle of water. "I think we should toast to Greg finally getting off his ass and proposing to Sara. It's about time."

"You're only saying that because you won the bet." Nick muttered.

"There was a bet?" Greg glanced between Nick and Warrick.

"Way to go, Nicky." Warrick muttered back.

Nick shrugged. "They'd have found out eventually."

Catherine coughed, clearly annoyed that the attention had been drawn away from her. "Anyway… since I will not be persuaded to give a speech at your wedding, I'm going to say it now…"

Greg and Sara exchanged uncertain glances, but gave the redhead their attention.

"I propose a toast to Sara and Greg. May you have health and happiness- now and forever."

"For eternity." Nick added, raising his own water.

Sara smiled, raising her water in one hand and taking Greg's hand with the other. "For eternity."

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**The End**


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